A&PI Wellness Center’s LGBTQ Medical Clinic Designated a Federally Qualified Health Center
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – This week, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appointed A&PI Wellness Center to be a new Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), increasing access to the highest-quality primary care, mental health, and supportive services for thousands of LGBTQ San Franciscans, people of color, and people living in the Tenderloin neighborhood.
The competitive award secures approximately $650,000 in annual funding for the organization. A&PI Wellness Center was the only community health center in San Francisco and one of 266 clinics nationwide to achieve FQHC status this year.
“We believe that everyone deserves to be healthy and have access to the highest-quality health care,” said Lance Toma, A&PI Wellness Center Executive Director. “This award validates our long-standing work to create a health center that goes beyond health-care-as-usual. We provide compassionate care grounded in social justice that is directly informed by our deep experience in the LGBTQ community and HIV care.”
A&PI Wellness Center launched its free medical clinic, the Wellness Clinic, in 2011 with an all-volunteer staff and has since expanded through a partnership with University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions. The federal recognition raises A&PI Wellness Center to a new level in the healthcare landscape of San Francisco and the US.
“This is an exciting time to be a community-centered healthcare resource in San Francisco,” said A&PI Wellness Center Director of Medical Services Tri Do, MD, MPH. “We’re building a sustainable model of integrated, comprehensive health care that not only meets the needs of our most vulnerable communities and allies—it’s led by them. We’re a vital part of San Francisco’s healthcare safety net that is accountable to the people we serve.”
Wellness Clinic services include primary medical care, mental health and counseling services, case management, and peer navigation. A&PI Wellness Center’s transgender health specialty clinic is integrated into its on-site transgender community drop-in center, TRANS:THRIVE, making it easier to access a wide array of stabilizing services that are the foundation for physical and mental health. The clinic is also the only provider of comprehensive family planning medical services in the Tenderloin area.
For media inquiries, please contact Stephanie Goss at 415-292-3420 ext 330.